Short trip to Vegas - where should I play poker? (1 Viewer)

[jpietrella]

I'm heading to Vegas during March Madness, 3/16 - 3/20. I'm staying at Paris and I'm generally a $2/$5 or $1/$2 $1/$3 NLH player. I'll occasionally spend some time at $20/$40 Hold'em.

I'm already planning on playing at Aria (I've played here before) and Wynn - will probably try to harvest at Circus Circus and Silver Sevens at some point. Looking for games with decent action, not a ton of regs, which can easily be beat. I generally prefer to play in the evenings (5pm - 3am). Walking distance to Paris is preferred but I'll Uber to anywhere there's a soft game.

Suggestions? Any PCFers in the area during that time?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Nanook]

Venetian, Aria & the Wynn for nl, Bellagio for limit 20/40 and bigger and Orleans for smaller limit and other non nl games like 8/16 limit or smallish O8 etc

 

[Schmendr1ck]

I was there in June and again in August. I played almost entirely 1/2 and 1/3 NLHE, though I did dabble a bit in 1/2 PLO. No tourneys on either trip.

Before this year, I hadn't been in LV for almost five years. My overall impression is that the low-stakes games are tighter and tougher now. Still generally beatable, but the clueless noobs and drunk fish are a lot fewer and farther between, and there are more locals grinding min-stakes than I've ever seen before.

Bally's and Venetian seemed to have the best games player-wise, especially on the weekends and late night. More games generally running in Venetian.

Aria sucked; super-long wait list, and the game I got was grindy and miserable.

Bellagio and Caesar's were okay but nothing special player-wise.

Mandalay Bay was pretty good, but the hours were very limited at the time. I ran into an ATC luckbox the night I played, but the game quality was pretty good in spite of that session's results.

Hope that helps - have a good time and give us a TR when you get back!

 

[buzzmonkey]

Wynn is kind of on my shit list right now, but the way they run their room in Vegas is completely different than the one in Boston, so your mileage may very. I'm just not interested in giving that company any of my money right now.

 

[Highli99]

Are you looking for a “good game” or good venue? I hear the Venetian room is terrible in a million ways but that keeps the pros away so it can be juicy. I would also want to check our resorts world.

 

[kmccormick100]

Wynn $1/3 $500 cap is probably consistently my favorite game. Caesar's $2/5 tends to be one of the softer $2/5 games on the strip as well.

 

[jpietrella]

Are you looking for a “good game” or good venue? I hear the Venetian room is terrible in a million ways but that keeps the pros away so it can be juicy. I would also want to check our resorts world.

The annoying answer is ideally "both." However, I'd lean towards getting a good game versus a good venue. Aria and Wynn probably satisfy both of those items, but really looking for any other suggestions that might be less obvious.

 

[Highli99]

The annoying answer is ideally "both." However, I'd lean towards getting a good game versus a good venue. Aria and Wynn probably satisfy both of those items, but really looking for any other suggestions that might be less obvious.

Resorts world might be your best bet.

 

[jpietrella]

Resorts world might be your best bet.

Are all the games there 8-handed?

 

[kmccormick100]

The annoying answer is ideally "both." However, I'd lean towards getting a good game versus a good venue. Aria and Wynn probably satisfy both of those items, but really looking for any other suggestions that might be less obvious.

Wynn's also the nicest room to play in IMO, good beverage comps, food and sightseeing on weekend nights. I wasn't really impressed by Resorts World's room or action when I was there this summer, but ymmv.

 

[Schmendr1ck]

Are you looking for a “good game” or good venue? I hear the Venetian room is terrible in a million ways but that keeps the pros away so it can be juicy. I would also want to check our resorts world.

I thought the room at the Venetian was fine - nothing fancy, but certainly comparable to a lot of other LV rooms.

My theory on why the cash games are a little softer there (and why local pros don't like the room)? They take a jackpot drop that goes 100% toward monthly freeroll tournaments, and you have to play quite a few hours to qualify. I think that the cash grinders go elsewhere because the higher rake impacts their hourly, and they don't get any benefit from it if they aren't interested in or don't qualify for the freeroll tourneys.

Also really regretting that I didn't get to Resorts World in August. They opened in June the night before I flew home, and August was a business trip so I didn't have time to get up there.

 

[Chawks45]

Put me down as another vote for the Wynn. Love, love, love that poker room. Did I mention I love that poker room?

I also like the MGM, which can be laid back but there is action.

Mandalay Bay was pretty good, but the hours were very limited at the time.

Definitely agree with @Schmendr1ck on the above ^^. It's off the beaten path since it's on the other end of the strip, and as he pointed out, the open hours are sort of wacky. But MB is cozy with a friendly atmosphere.

Lastly, the Bravo app is your best friend while in Vegas.

 

[moose]

Bellagio, Aria, Wynn and the Venetian are your best bets for $2/5 and up. The only place you might find a $20/40 game is going to be Bellagio. Bellagio is going to be the closest game to Paris.

Check the Bravo app before you head out from your hotel to see what is running and what the wait lists are like. Phone ahead before you leave and your seat should be ready by the time you get there.

 

[diablo2112]

Was at the Venetian last month and did quite a bit of 1/2NL. Was a great game. Lots of talky, loose tourists. Best time to get a seat was first thing in the morning, around 9. Nicely paid for the trip.

 

[jr8719]

Was at the Venetian last month and did quite a bit of 1/2NL. Was a great game. Lots of talky, loose tourists. Best time to get a seat was first thing in the morning, around 9. Nicely paid for the trip.

Is it 1/2 or 1/3 there, as Poker Atlas says the latter?

 

[AWenger]

I'm heading to Vegas during March Madness, 3/16 - 3/20. I'm staying at Paris and I'm generally a $2/$5 or $1/$2 $1/$3 NLH player. I'll occasionally spend some time at $20/$40 Hold'em.

I'm already planning on playing at Aria (I've played here before) and Wynn - will probably try to harvest at Circus Circus and Silver Sevens at some point. Looking for games with decent action, not a ton of regs, which can easily be beat. I generally prefer to play in the evenings (5pm - 3am). Walking distance to Paris is preferred but I'll Uber to anywhere there's a soft game.

I've gone to Vegas every few years over Superbowl weekend and it was pretty busy with out-of towners, and many of the 1/2 & 1/3 games I've played over those times seemed to have a lot of rec players/people on vacation. I'm guessing March Madness will bring similar crowds to Vegas, although who knows this year.

But... some of the main places I used to play that had good games with many non-regs were Planet Hollywood and Flamingo, however, I think I remember reading here on PCF that both of those places recently closed their poker rooms permanently. Maybe also check out Bally's, if they still have a room open?

 

[Schmendr1ck]

Definitely agree with @Schmendr1ck on the above ^^. It's off the beaten path since it's on the other end of the strip, and as he pointed out, the open hours are sort of wacky. But MB is cozy with a friendly atmosphere.

When it is open, the games are often good if there's a convention in the MB convention center. You get a lot of attendees who are staying there and don't want to go up the Strip for better/bigger rooms.

 

[Schmendr1ck]

I've gone to Vegas every few years over Superbowl weekend and it was pretty busy with out-of towners, and many of the 1/2 & 1/3 games I've played over those times seemed to have a lot of rec players/people on vacation. I'm guessing March Madness will bring similar crowds to Vegas, although who knows this year.

But... some of the main places I used to play that had good games with many non-regs were Planet Hollywood and Flamingo, however, I think I remember reading here on PCF that both of those places recently closed their poker rooms permanently. Maybe also check out Bally's, if they still have a room open?

Not sure about Flamingo, but PH is definitely closed. I played there in June and my table was great. I was disappointed when I returned in August to find out they'd closed permanently.

 

[Poker Zombie]

Not sure about Flamingo, but PH is definitely closed. I played there in June and my table was great. I was disappointed when I returned in August to find out they'd closed permanently.

Flamingo has been closed. They paid out their bonus pool via a give-a-way.

If you are right at the Paris, I would stick my head in to Bally's to see if they have started with the poker room renovations yet. Probably too soon, but you never know...

 

[diablo2112]

Is it 1/2 or 1/3 there, as Poker Atlas says the latter?

Honestly, now I don't remember. I would have sworn it was 1/2, and the dealers were coloring up to $2 chips on the blinds. It might have been 1/3. Typical buy-ins were $100-200. BTW, I think there was a crude sort of tracking being done with the $2 chips. The dealers would change up to exactly one $2 chip each competitive pot. No idea why; somebody here might be able to explain this.